Another One Burned to Ashes
by JoniLuvsChachi
Summary: While on a case for the CIA, Frank and Joe find themselves in Eastern Europe. Guess who shows up? Nancy Drew, of course. Big suprise! Solving the case is easy. Getting out alive is going to be the hard part. Chap. 4 up!
1. Chapter 1 A Late Night Flight

I don't own these people. If I did I'd be living it up in Malibu or something like that. Since that is not the case, please enjoy my first addition to the fanfic universe. Feedback and constructive criticism is always welcome.

**Chapter One: A Late Night Flight**

"How long is this flight?" Joe Hardy yawned and made a vain attempt to stretch his long legs in the cramped seat of the commercial airliner.

"About sixteen hours." Frank Hardy leaned forward looking across his brother out the window. The rain that had been pelting the plane on the tarmac was beginning to subside. He sighed to himself and turned back to his laptop where he was keeping on eye on the weather. The system of storms that had moved through New York the night before had caused a delay in their flight. They had been sitting in the plane on the runway for about an hour, and Frank was getting antsy.

"We're stopping in Lisbon, and then on to Ukraine."

Joe glanced at his watch. The numbers 1:45 A.M. glared at him. "Why so we always have to catch these flights in the middle of the night?" He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"We're on a schedule." Frank reminded his younger brother. "Time is of the essence."

"Yeah, yeah…" Joe finally settled down and leaned his head against the window. He closed his eyes and was soon snoring soundly.

Frank shook his head and turned back to his laptop. At the pilot's instructions he shut it down and put it away in preparation for takeoff. He eyed the file folder that contained the intel on their case. Neither he nor Joe had read it yet. They had decided that in the interest of secrecy they would wait to discuss it when the plane was well in the air and most of the passengers had nodded off themselves. He finally let his eyes drift close and soon dirfted off to sleep.

Four hours later, Frank started suddenly from his sleep by a cramp in his leg. At six foot one inches tall, he had to practically fold his legs like a card table, and his knees still pushed uncomfortably into seat in front of him. Glancing to the ceiling, he saw that the seatbelt sign was turned off, he stretched his long legs into the aisle, getting some less than approving looks from the attendants. Oh, well, he thought. Next to him, with his head against the window, Joe snored softly. Frank chuckled to himself; at least Joe was getting his precious beauty sleep.

He plugged in the headset to his iPod and began leafing through the file. The first page of the file was dossier of their target: one Michael Eastman. Eastman was an ex-marine who had gone into the CIA after the first Gulf War. His record was flawless both as a military man and a CIA agent. His wife and daughter had been killed in a car accident twelve years earlier. Eastman had been stationed in the Ukraine shortly after.

He glanced next to him as Joe shifted in his seat and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around briefly trying to remember where he was. He slumped in the seat and stretched his arms above his head. "Are we there yet?"

Frank snorted. "We've only been in the air about four hours."

"So, what have you got so far?"

"This guy's been blackmailing the CIA since they gave him his burn notice three weeks ago."

"What kind of blackmail?"

Joe waved over one of the attendants, and they both ordered a cup of coffee. After she dropped off the two cups, they returned to the file.

"After he got burned, he wanted out of the country. The CIA was not very cooperative. Two days ago, they got a message from him stating that he had a list of the all the undercover agents in Eastern Europe and would sell them to the highest bidder."

"Wow." Joe blew cool air into his coffee. "Three weeks isn't very long to pull this kind of blackmail together. I mean a list of undercover agents? That would take some time to get together."

Frank nodded. "He must have known that they were going to blacklist him. He was ready."

"Wonder why they burned him?"

"They conveniently left that information out of the file."

Joe sipped his coffee. "Any family?"

"Says his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident twelve years ago, no other known family."

"So, what's first when we get there?"

Frank pulled out another slip of paper. "We have a room at a hotel in Kiev when we land, and a car. Then it's just a matter of asking around. The CIA's intel shows that Eastman's had some activity around there. We'll start with his last known address."

"So, all we have to do is find this guy, right?" Joe stretched his legs again.

"And the disk, the CIA will handle his extraction."

"Why didn't they just find him themselves?"

Frank put the file away as passengers around them began to stir. "This guy's in the Marines and the CIA. They thought anyone they sent in would get made as soon as they started snooping. I guess we're less likely to be pegged as international spies."

Suddenly Frank looked up as he felt a tapping on his shoulder. A very attractive flight attendant whose name tag read Tiffany stood behind him with a food cart. She smiled prettily. Caught off guard, Frank smiled back, trying not to blush. Without a word, she pointed into the aisle where Frank's feet rested. Suddenly feeling very stupid, he quickly slid his feet out of the aisle and into their previously cramped position.

"Sorry," he muttered, feeling his face burning.

The attendant continued smiling as she pushed the cart past them preparing to serve breakfast. Beside him, he heard Joe snicker. "Smooth, big brother. Real smooth."

Frank sank down into his seat and crossed his arms. "Shut up."

Sixteen hours and a brief stop in Portugal later, the Hardys had dropped their luggage off at their hotel room and picked up their rental the Agency had waiting for them. Now they were parked outside Eastman's last known address, waiting for any sign of their target.

The block was pretty quiet considering the late hour. More apartment buildings lined the street. They were on the outskirts of Kiev now, so the lights of the city had faded into a few street lamps that dotted the road. Frank was sure that not many tourists made it out to this part of town. It wasn't exactly run down, but there was a definite difference when compared to the well-manicured parks and pristine streets of central Kiev.

On the corner, a small bar was identified by its brightly lit neon signs in windows. Every now and then, Frank would see people going in or leaving. He imagined it was more of a local hang out.

Joe sat in the passenger seat resting his head on the head rest, his eyes close. "You know as well as I do that this guy would not be stupid enough to keep the disk at his place and if he's blackmailing the CIA, I'm guessing that he's not going to be staying here anymore either."

Frank drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of the gray sedan that they had procured. "I know." He knew that his brother was not built for stakeouts. Joe wanted action. "Okay, hot shot, what do you say we go up there and do a little snooping?"

Joe's head snapped up, his eyes wide open now. "Now, you're speaking my language."

The boys got out of the car and moved quietly to the front door of the apartment building. As they moved down the empty, barely lit hall way, they could hear soft music or noise from the television coming from the apartments as they passed each door.

On one occasion Joe stopped in front of room 122 when they heard loud voices coming from within. He pressed his ear against the door and listened as a man and a woman were yelling in from what he could tell was some kind of Russian dialect. The fight appeared to be escalating and Joe began to wonder if he might need to interrupt to keep someone from getting hurt. Suddenly the noise stopped. Joe glanced at Frank who shrugged. A loud thump against the door made Joe jump back. He was about to knock when he began to hear moaning and unmistakable sound of clothes being removed. Pressing his ear back to the door, he listened for a moment longer then grinned at his brother.

"I think they're making up." He whispered.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Come on. We're wasting time."

They continued down the hall to where they corridor made a sharp turn. As they neared the corner, Frank saw a door leading to the stairwell. They made quick work of the four flights of stairs and soon found themselves standing in front of room 413.

"This is it." Frank announced.

As before, Joe pressed his ear against the door, trying to distinguish any sounds. There was nothing but silence. He stood back and rapped loudly on wood. No sign of movement came from within the apartment.

An older man, maybe forty, suddenly rounded the corner in a big hurry. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the Hardys. His eyes grew wide and his face paled. He obviously didn't expect to find them there. After a moment, he sprinted down the hallway, bumping into Frank nearly knocking him down.

"Hey." Joe yelled after him, but the man had disappeared into the stairwell.

"I wonder what that was about."

Frank was thoughtful. "That was odd." Then he shrugged. "Let's wonder about it later. I just want to get this over with."

Joe nodded and positioned himself to the right of the door as Joe knocked again. Receiving no response he tried again. Nothing. He stooped low, removing a paper clip from his pocket and quickly bent it out of shape so he could stick it into the lock. He moved the paper clip around and tried the knob without success. He glanced at his brother who rolled his eyes.

"I wish Nancy were here. We'd be done searching the room by know."

Joe stuck his tongue out and went back to work on the lock. "The only reason you want Nancy here is so that you can look at her goods while she's bent over messing with this thing. Ow!" Joe shouted as Frank kicked him sharply in the hip. "I'm just saying, Frank. I mean, that's what I do when she's busy picking locks. Ow! Will you quit that?"

Finally, they heard a click, and Joe looked up at his brother in triumph. "Don't replace me with that red headed vixen just yet." He turned the knob and the door swung open.

Joe let out a low whistle as he entered the living room. The lights were on and the sparsely furnished room had been torn apart. The sofa cushions had been shredded to pieces. The curtains had been ripped down. The living room opened into a small kitchen/dining area that had also been thoroughly searched. All the cabinets were opened with a few dirty dishes strewn about.

"Wow." Was Frank's response as he stood behind his brother.

"Looks like someone had the same idea that we did." Joe commented.

Frank walked to the kitchen table that had papers covering the top. "Yeah, but who?" On top of the pile of papers rested an 8x 10 black and white photograph that caught Frank's eye. He recognized the man in the picture as Eastman. He was standing in front of Sea World with a young girl, about eight years old, sitting on his shoulders. Eastman's daughter, he surmised. They looked so happy. Frank was drawn into the picture by the girl; her almond shaped eyes sparkled as she gave her best toothy grin.

"Whatcha got there?" Joe looked over his shoulder. His brother handed him the photo.

"Eastman's daughter?" Frank nodded. "You know what? She kind of looks like Nancy."

The older Hardy took the picture back and gave it a good look. His brother was right. The little girl on their target's shoulders looked like a younger version of their friend, Nancy Drew. He smiled as visions of a young Nancy running around with her lock picking kit and magnifying glass.

"I wonder if the guys that broke in here were looking for same thing we are." Joe said thoughtfully as he moved back into the living room.

Without really knowing why, Frank folded up the photo and put it in his pocket. "Well, do we assume that they found what they were looking for, or not?"

"We've decided that Eastman wouldn't be dumb enough to leave the disk here, so, if that's what they were looking for, they probably didn't find it."

Frank nodded. "I hope we're right."

"What if they were just looking for Eastman?" Joe looked around for any signals that they had left with the CIA agent.

"It's possible. But if they had him, why go through the trouble of tearing up the place."

"Maybe he wouldn't talk."

Frank rubbed his chin thoughtfully. There were too many variables here. They needed more information, but his main concern now was that they were now dealing with an unknown element. Someone else wanted Eastman. Frank wanted to know why.

After searching the apartment to see if anything was missed by the first set of intruders, the boys left the apartment building to regroup.

"What now?" Joe slumped back into his seat in the car.

Frank stared out the windshield for a moment. "We need to ask around. See if someone knows where he might be."

Suddenly the front door of the apartment complex opened and a man walked quickly out into the street. He pulled the collar of his overcoat securely behind his ears as he glanced up and down the street. He looked afraid. Finally, the man darted up the street and into the bar on the corner. Frank recognized him immediately.

"That's the guy from upstairs. And he looks like he's in big hurry."


	2. Chapter 2 A Promising Lead

Sorry for the delay, guys! I have rewritten this chapter three times! Thanks for all the terrific feedback. Your encouragement got me through all the rewrites and revisions. I hope this is enough to keep you interested. PLEASE, PLEASE, tell me what you think.

Chapter Two: A Promising Lead

"Shall we see what he's up to?" Joe already had his hand on the door handle.

"Yep," Frank replied. "Let's check it out."

They left their car still in front Eastman's apartment complex and followed the man's path to the corner bar.

As they entered, they were bombarded with thick cigarette smoke and lazy chatter from the few locals sitting at the wooden tables spread across the floor. The Hardys scanned the room, looking for their mystery man. Joe nudged Frank and tilted his head to the back of the room. In the back, a bar stretched the length of the room, illuminated by various neon signs advertising beer and liquor. It too was sparsely populated. Standing at the far end of the bar, their man was hunched over talking quietly with the bartender.

Frank and Joe walked slowly towards the bar, trying not to the catch his attention. It was too late. The bartender looked up and saw them. She motioned quickly to the man who suddenly bolted out the side door. Joe sprinted across the room with Frank on his heels. To their disbelief, the bartender suddenly appeared slamming the door shut and locking the deadbolt. They stopped short of running her over.

"Employees only, guys."

They stared at her. She was tall and curvy with pitch black hair with a hint of red at the roots. The black rimmed glasses did little to mask the conviction in her blue eyes. Frank guessed that she was about their age, and she spoke perfect English.

Joe spoke first. "We need to talk to that guy."

She didn't budge. "Sorry. Rules are rules."

It was all Joe could do to keep from reaching over and throttling her. "Look here, you…"

Frank quickly took control. "Alright, alright. Take it easy." He took Joe by the arm and pulled him away a few steps. The bartender walked back behind the bar and began clearing off dirty glasses.

"Well, that was a bust." Frank stretched his head to the side until he heard a satisfying pop in his neck.

Joe was still seething. "Maybe we should ask her some questions." He indicated the bartender who was now talking to a very large man at the bar. "She was awfully cozy with our guy."

"Good idea. But Joe, try to ease up. You know you catch more flies with honey, and all that…"

A slow smile crept across Joe's face as he watched the raven haired girl. "That, my big brother, is what I do best."

Frank slapped him on the back. "Go get her, Tiger."

He followed Joe's lead and sat next to his brother. Not in any hurry, the bartender sauntered over to the pair, eyeing them suspiciously.

Frank held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. "We don't want any trouble, just a couple of drinks if you don't mind."

She stared silently at them.

Frank cleared his throat. "You do speak English, right?"

Behind her glasses, she narrowed her blue eyes at him. "Isn't that what I was just speaking? Or did I imagine it."

"Sorry, we just…well we weren't expecting it that's all." She nodded. "I'll have a coke please." He said.

She looked at Joe, who had composed himself and offered her his finest smile. "I'll have a coke, too, and a date with you." His smile faded when she replied with a thoroughly disgusted look.

"Two cokes coming up."

When she was out of ear shot, Frank grinned at his brother. "Very smooth, bro."

"Oh, yeah, why don't you try smoothing things over with Her Highness, the Ice Queen?"

Frank just shook his head.

"Here you go." The bartender set their drinks in front of them. Frank noticed that she had put them in Styrofoam cups. She apparently didn't want them hanging around.

"How did you know?" Joe asked her suddenly.

"Know what?"

"That we were American. You spoke English back there without us saying a word. How did you know?"

She leaned against the back counter and crossed her arms. "You don't exactly look like locals, ya know."

Joe had had just about enough of her sarcasm and was about to tell her so when Frank cleared his throat. Maybe the direct approach was the way to go.

"Alright, look, here's the deal. We don't know that guy that just left, but we are looking for someone and we thought that guy might know something." Frank was as straightforward as he could be, but she just looked at him. "Okay, you know a guy named Michael Eastman? We think he might be a local around here."

Neither of the brothers missed the look of surprise on her face. Or was it fear? Just as quickly the look faded and was replaced by a smirk. "You guys ask a lot of questions. What are you like secret spies or something?"

Frank chuckled loudly. "Do we look like international spies to you?" He batted his eyes dramatically. She raised a skeptical eyebrow at them. "Alright you got us. My name is Bond, James Bond. And this is my partner, Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery."

"Why do I always have to be Austin Powers?" Joe pouted, crossing his arms. "You always get to be Bond."

The girl smiled slightly. Good, Frank thought, now we're getting somewhere.

Suddenly her smile faded. "Look guys, I don't know this Michael Eastman guy, and I don't know what exactly you think you're looking for. But I can tell you right now all that you're going find is trouble."

Without another word, she walked to the other end of the bar and began cleaning up empty glasses.

Frank grimaced inward. They had been stonewalled.

"She knows something, Frank. Did you see her face when we mentioned Eastman?"

Frank nodded. "Yep, that means that our mystery guy is probably involved."

"It also means that he was not on the forth floor of that apartment building by mere coincidence." Joe sipped his coke and made a face. "It's flat."

Frank grinned at him. "She probably spit in it too."

"Gross." Joe pushed his cup to the side. "What now? Should we keep an eye on her?"

Suddenly Frank yawned and glanced at his watch. It was really late and the jetlag from the flight was beginning to catch up with him. "Let's go back to the hotel and get some sleep. We'll come back tomorrow and see if we can get some more information."

Joe nodded in agreement. "Hey toots!" He called out. Frank sank his face into his hand in embarrassment. "How much for the sodas?"

The bartender's fiery glare could have melted the polar ice caps. Then she shot Joe a wicked grin. "Why, they're on the house. Consider them my little gift." She said sweetly.

Joe looked down at his drink, remembering Frank's earlier comment about the spit. He grimaced, left a few bucks on the bar and followed Frank out.

XOXO

"I am so ready for some good old fashion REM sleep." Joe yawned again as they made their way through the hotel lobby. The hotel was located in the heart of Kiev's tourist district which meant that it had all the amenities that travelers, especially from the U.S., would be accustomed to. There was a small sitting area in front of the reception desk and a large fountain in the middle of the oval shaped room.

"You said it." Frank was already heading to the elevators when Joe grabbed his arm.

"Frank, what is the one thing in the world that I could tell you right now that would shock you more than anything?"

Frank looked at him blankly. "I have no idea." He really wasn't in the mood for his brother's antics at the moment.

Joe grinned big. "How about if I told you that a certain red headed vixen was staying at our hotel?" He nodded toward the reception desk.

Frank whirled around and stared. Sure enough, standing at the desk, her carry on bag slung over her shoulder stood Nancy Drew. "Holy shit!"

His brother shook his head. "You kiss your mother with that mouth? Come on." He grabbed Frank by the arm and pulled him across the lobby.

As they approached, they heard the receptionist speaking. "And here's your key. Enjoy your stay Ms. Drew."

"I wonder what kind of International Intrigue would bring Nancy Drew in its wake." Joe quipped.

Nancy jumped and spun around, her blue eyes wide with shock. "Oh my god! Joe! Frank!" She reached out and pulled Joe into a friendly embrace.

"Now that's my kind of greeting. We should do this more often." Joe grinned. "You know what's funny, Nan…besides the obvious fact that we're staying at the same hotel half all the way across the world, I mean, what are the odds, right? We were just talking about you earlier this evening."

She pulled back and smiled at them both. "Oh yeah?"

He nodded. "We were discussing your…" he glanced at Frank. "breaking and entering techniques." He grinned at her. He felt his brother's glare boring into his skull.

"I see." Her blue eyes twinkled as she gazed at Frank expectantly.

Finally, Frank stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. "It's good to see you, Nancy." His soft breath tickled her ear, causing a very familiar, involuntary shiver to course through her spine. Suddenly, Frank pulled back and held her at arms length, his eyes serious now. "What are you doing in Ukraine? Your not here by yourself, are you?"

"Of course she's not." A deep voice answered for her. The pair turned to see Ned Nickerson walking towards them. Frank quickly released Nancy and took an unconscious step back. Ned immediately stepped up and draped a casual arm around her shoulders. "You don't think I'd let my girlfriend run around Eastern Europe by herself do you?" He leveled his gaze at Frank. "Lots of questionable folks running around here, you know."

"Hey Ned." Frank said cheerfully, trying very hard to ignore the double meaning comment.

Joe watched the scene with amusement. There had always been a spark of personal interest between his older brother and Nancy. As a result, there had always been the slightest bit of friction between Frank and Ned. Fortunately both men were mature enough not to let it go too far. Which surprised Joe since Ned always seemed to walk in on Frank and Nancy in compromising, even if completely innocent, situations. But Joe knew that those innocent situations had, at times, turned into more than just friendly affection. Luckily Ned had never witnessed one of those encounters.

"How ya been, Ned?" Joe decided to step in, extending his hand to the other man.

Ned graciously took Joe's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Not bad. Although," he glanced down at Nancy, "I would have preferred to spend my vacation somewhere other than the Ukraine."

Nancy raised her eyes playfully. "You could've stayed home, you know."

"Are you kidding me? I watch the movies. People go backpacking across Eastern Europe; people get kidnapped by some psycho killers who want to cut them into tiny pieces, making it as painful as they can." Ned stuck his nose in the air, indignant.

"Sounds like my kind of movie." Joe was glad when Ned finally smiled and the tension eased a little bit.

"What are you guys doing here anyway? Business or pleasure." Nancy looked from Joe to Frank.

"Just business I'm afraid." Frank replied. "And you?"

Ned spoke up. "Maybe a little bit of both, eh sweetie." He leaned in and kissed Nancy's cheek.

Nancy blushed at the public display. "Maybe. If you behave yourself." She giggled.

Suddenly Frank had the distinct feeling that he was going to throw up. Thankfully, Joe was a pro at reading his brother. He yawned loudly. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat. Why don't we get together in the morning for breakfast and swap stories."

"Sounds good." Nancy said cheerfully. "Jetlag is the worst."

"No kidding." Frank interjected quickly. "Well, good night, guys. See you in the morning." He turned and hurried towards the elevators.

The three that were left stared after him. Finally Joe turned to Nancy and Ned. "He always gets a little weird when he travels on planes. I think it's the atmospheric change or something like that."

Ned nodded. "Yeah." He said flatly.

"Good night, Nancy." Joe nodded to her boyfriend. "Ned. See you bright and early."

"Good night." Nancy called after him as he retreated after his brother.

Joe hurried into the elevator that Frank was holding for him. Both of them stared straight ahead. "Well," Joe said. "that wasn't awkward." He heard the elevator ding and the doors slid closed.

XOXO

Morning came all too soon for the four Americans as they sat in the hotel restaurant still bleary eyed. The server stopped by to drop off their coffee and take their orders. As soon as she was out of ear shot, Joe wasted no time with his interrogation of Nancy and Ned.

"So," He placed his elbows on the table, resting his chin in his hands. "what brings you to Kiev, Drew? It's not exactly my idea of a romantic getaway."

"You either, huh?" Ned gave Nancy a playful wink, but the tone hung in the air.

For her part, she chose to ignore the comment. "Actually, I came to see my cousin. She's my third cousin really. I haven't seen her in ages. She contacted me and told me that she's in some kind of trouble, and needed my help." She sipped her coffee. "The strange thing is…"

"Ms. Drew?" The four of them looked up at their server.

"Yes?"

"Sorry for the interruption, but there is a young lady at the desk asking for you."

Nancy set her coffee down and stood quickly. "That must be her. I called her last night and told her to meet me here. Excuse me." She followed the server into the lobby.

"So, Ned," Frank said casually sipping his coffee. "how's work?"

"It's alright." Ned gave him a small smile. "Not nearly as interesting as your line of work, I suppose."

Joe chuckled. "There's something to be said for having a steady job that doesn't require dodging bullets and dismantling bombs, Ned."

Ned laughed himself. "Tell that to her." He nodded in the direction Nancy had just left. From their table they had a clear view of the lobby. They looked over at Nancy who was hugging her guest.

When they parted, the Hardys got an unobstructed view of the girl. They both stared for a moment then looked at each other. There was no mistaking the dark hair and curvy figure. Nancy's cousin was the bartender from the night before.

"No way." Joe said out loud as he started to get up.

Frank grabbed his arm to keep him in his seat. "Just wait, Joe. She wasn't exactly warming up to us last night. Maybe Nancy can give us an in."

Nancy hugged her cousin tightly. It had been more than ten years since they had seen each other, but she was sure that she would not have been able to pick her cousin out of a line up.

"Brianna, oh my god. What's going on? I thought you…"

"I know we have a lot to talk about, Nancy." Brianna cut her off. "But I only stopped by for a moment. I have some business to take care of, but if you can meet at work tonight after closing time, we can talk then."

Nancy was stunned. The message she had received from her cousin not 48 hours earlier had sounded urgent, and now she wanted to wait. "Bri, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Nancy, but it's going to have to wait. I promise that tonight I will tell you everything you need to know. Please trust me." Brianna's eyes pleaded with Nancy.

Nancy sighed. "Alright, what time?"

"Eleven o'clock. Here are the directions." She handed Nancy a piece of paper. "I'll see you tonight." With that, she hurried out the door and disappeared.

Nancy looked at the directions on the slip of paper. Things were not setting well with her at all. As she approached the table, the guys were looking at her with interest.

"Well?" Ned asked. "What did she say?"

Nancy was thoughtful as she sat back in her seat. "She wants us to meet her at work tonight. She gave me directions."

"I don't think we'll need those." Frank smirked at her curious look. "We already know how to get there."

"How?" Now she was very curious.

"Nancy, my love," Joe grinned at her. "Your cousin happens to be a prominent, not to mention the only, lead in our case."

Well, that's it. I know there's not a lot of action yet, but if you stick with me, the next few chapters will bring out dodging bullets and blowing things up.


	3. Chapter 3 Drop It Like Its Hot

"Someone gonna fill me in

Here you go. You asked for it. Again thanks to everyone for their kind words. You sure do know how to make a person feel special ;) Enjoy!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Chapter Three: Drop It Like Its Hot**

"Someone gonna fill me in?" Nancy stared at the Hardy brothers waiting for an answer.

"Go ahead, bro." Joe leaned back in his chair.

Frank cleared his throat and waited as their server refilled their coffee. When he left, Frank leaned forward so he could speak in a low voice. "All I can tell you is that we were sent here to find a rogue CIA agent. He's got some information that they would really like to get back."

Nancy nodded. "And? That's it?" She raised an eyebrow at him clearly annoyed at Frank for being so vague. She was well aware that the Hardys often worked cases that were sensitive to the government, and she really tried not to put them in a position to give her their top secret Intel. This time, she decided, was personal. "What does this have to do with my cousin?"

Joe quickly related to her the events of the night before, ending with the confrontation in the bar with Brianna. "There was definitely a reaction when we talked to her. And she was talking very closely with that guy from the apartment building."

Nancy was thoughtful for a moment. "You think he was going back to the apartment to get something and ran into you two."

"I forgot just how brilliant you are, Ms. Drew." Joe grinned at her.

"We searched the apartment." Frank said. "It was clean."

Nancy picked up where he ended. "If he ransacked the apartment in the first place, then he knew that the information wasn't there. Why would he go back?"

"That's the million dollar question." Frank smiled at her. It had been a while since they had worked a case together, but their minds still seemed to operate on the same wave length.

Ned finally spoke. "You think Brianna's involved in this whole mess?"

"In her message, she did say that she was in some kind of trouble. Maybe she got mixed up with the wrong people and got in over her head." Nancy stared at her now empty coffee cup.

"Either way," Joe said. "We have to talk to her."

"She said to meet her at work at eleven o'clock tonight."

Ned leaned forward resting his chin on his hands. "So what do we do till then?"

Frank thought for a moment. "Why don't you two go take in some sights? Joe and I will hit the pavement and ask some questions. The guy's been living here for twelve years, someone has to know him."

Before Nancy could object, Ned cut her off. "Sounds good to me."

"Good," Frank got up and fished some money out of his pocket. He dropped it on the table. "We'll meet back here for dinner at five. Come on Joe."

When the Hardys were gone, Ned looked at Nancy. "I know what you're thinking, Nancy. This is not your case. They are perfectly capable of handling it on their own."

Nancy balled up her napkin and tossed it on the table. "I know, but if Brianna's involved, I'd like to know how."

"Then ask her when we see her tonight." Ned took her hand in his. "It'll be nice having some alone time with you, even if it is only for a few hours. I have a feeling that once we talk to Brianna things are going to get a little messy."

Nancy gazed into his eyes and saw how much the idea really meant to him. She sighed in resignation. "Alright, what do you want to do first?"

XOXO

When Nancy and Ned arrived back at the hotel at five o'clock, they found the Hardys already seated at a table in the dining room. They looked beat and their mood was somber.

"No luck?" Nancy guessed as she sat next to Joe, across from Frank. Ned took the place to her right.

Joe shook his head. "Apparently, a lot of people recognized his picture, but no one really knew him. We went back to his apartment building. Everyone said he was fairly quiet and seemed to keep to himself."

Nancy nodded. "That would make sense being that he's a U.S. government agent." She unfolded her napkin and put it in her lap.

The waitress brought them drinks and took their order.

"Maybe, we'll get lucky tonight." Ned sipped his water. "If Brianna's in as much trouble as we're guessing, maybe she'll be ready to talk."

Frank looked at Nancy intently, a very serious tone in his eyes. "Nancy, there is the possibility that she might be working for the wrong side. She may have the disk herself, intending on making a profit."

"I know," she said quietly. "I thought about that, too. But why would she get me to come halfway across the world if she's involved in some kind of espionage?"

Frank shrugged. Suddenly Joe decided it was time for a change of topic. "So how was the sightseeing?"

Nancy smiled. "It was nice. Kiev really is a beautiful city." She smiled at Ned, who smiled back warmly. The truth was that they really did have a good time, but in the back of her mind, Nancy was going over scenarios in her head, preparing for their meeting with Brianna later. Ned knew what was going on in her head, but he accepted it as part of who she was. She had told him a long time ago that if he loved her, he had to love all the things about her. Still, she knew it irked him when they were together and her mind was a million miles away.

The server brought their food. The four ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

When they had finished their meal, it was 7:30. They decided to go to their rooms to get ready for the meeting. The Hardys needed to check in with the Agency, and Nancy decided that she needed something a little more functional than her knee length skirt and sandals.

It was almost ten when they met back in the lobby and loaded into Frank and Joe's rental car. Frank took the driver's seat. Joe opened the front passenger door for Nancy. She quickly declined, giving him an awkward smile and opted to sit in the back with Ned. Joe grinned knowingly at her and climbed in next to Frank. Soon, they were on their way towards the outskirts of town.

XOXO

When Frank finally parked the car in front of Brianna's bar, the parking lot was empty and the front lights were out, letting stragglers know that the bar was closed.

"Let's go." Joe said quickly as he reached for the handle.

"Hold it, Joe." Frank stopped his brother and motioned to the side of the building.

Two very large men stepped out of the nearby shadows. They were both wearing large overcoats and wool hats pulled down far enough to obscure their faces. They made their way across the parking lot and entered the bar.

"Let's go. Nancy…Ned, stay with car. We may need to make a fast getaway." Frank said. Nancy nodded. She and Ned moved to the front seats while Frank and Joe slowly maneuvered their way to the building, positioning themselves right under the front window. From their location, they could see and hear everything taking place inside.

Brianna eyed the two men that had just entered the bar as she placed the bar's money into a strong box and locked it.

"The bar's closed." She snapped.

"We don't want a drink." One of the men said with a thick Russian accent. "We want to talk to you."

Brianna laughed. "Well, I'm not open either. Come back tomorrow."

The men stepped closer, no humor showed on their sinister faces. "Stefan sent us. He wants the disk with the names of American Operatives."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Brianna snarled as she walked behind the bar.

Suddenly the man grabbed her hard just above the elbow, dragging her half way across the bar. "Do not play games with us. Your circumstances have changed considerably, and there is no reason why we should let you live. If you give us the disk, we may reconsider."

Brianna glanced behind the man and saw his companion brandishing a gun. "Alright, alright…" she jerked her arm away from him, and looked around for an escape. She had to buy herself some time. "I'll get you the disk. But it's not here."

Frank and Joe watched through the window as one of the men inside brought out a gun. "Dammit." Frank cursed. "I hate it when they bring gun with them." He knew they had to act fast. If Brianna knew where the disk was, they needed her alive and unharmed. "Come on." Joe followed him to the front door. "Follow my lead."

Moving quickly, Frank opened the door and stepped into the bar, Joe right behind him. "This is the most irresponsible thing you could have done, Joe."

"It was an accident, honestly." Joe shot back.

"Yeah, well, accidents do seem to follow you around don't they?" He stopped short as one of the giants moved toward them, gun at the ready. "Whoa," Frank raised his hands.

"The bar is closed." The man grumbled in heavily accented English.

"Oh," Frank replied casually, glancing behind the man at the bar. "that's okay, we don't want a drink anyway. You see, we were in here earlier and my brother left his wallet. It has all our money, our passports…you know how it is. Anyway, we were hoping some Good Samaritan might have found it and returned it."

The man looked away towards Brianna. That was all the opening the brothers needed. They double teamed the giant; Joe reached for the gun hand, while Frank went for the man's knees. He fell back unexpectedly, pulling both of the Hardys down with him.

The gun clattered to the floor as the giant rolled over flinging Joe off of his arm and into the floorboards. Frank was at his feet trying to avoid a solid kicking by one of the man's massive boots.

The other giant fumbled for a moment in his jacket before pulling out his own gun. He aimed the barrel at the pile of arms and legs on the floor. Brianna quickly snatched a bottle of vodka up by the neck and in one swift motion cracked it over the man's head. The bottle shattered in her hands, slicing her palm. She cursed loudly, holding her hand to her body.

Giant number one was still trying to land a good kick to Frank's face when Joe was kneeling at his side dropping his weight into his elbow and right in the man's gut. He howled loudly and doubled over momentarily forgetting about Frank's head. Frank rolled away and kicked the man hard in the kidneys.

Brianna stood frozen as her man staggered, now drenched in 100 Proof Vodka, and swung his gun around on her. "Now, disk or no disk, you will die." As he began to crawl across the bar, knocking various bottles of liquor to the ground. Brianna looked around for a weapon. Then she had an idea. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a brass plated Zippo lighter. As she turned, she saw that the man had hurled the bar and was now coming at her. She quickly lit the Zippo and threw it to the ground.

The liquor that had spilled to the floor blazed up immediately following its path all the way back to its source. Before the thug knew what happened he found himself engulfed in flames, the vodka on his clothes acting as a catalyst for the fire. Screaming uncontrollably the man barreled back over the bar and made a made dash for the front door. En route in tripped over a chair. He lurched forward, grabbing one of the heavy curtains hanging from the front windows on his way down, igniting yet another fire.

The Hardys, leaving their foe a crumpled mass on the floor, ran to the bar. "Come on!" Joe yelled at Brianna.

She nodded, took a deep breath and hurled herself over the bar landing hard on the floor. Frank grabbed her arm. "Let's get out of here."

As they turned to leave their hearts sank. The front door was blocked by a wall of flame.

"The tanks!" Brianna cried, before succumbing to a coughing fit.

"What?" Frank yelled, covering his own mouth.

"The CO2 tanks! For the soda fountain! There're in the back. If the fire reaches them, they'll blow!"

"What do you think, Frank? Out the side?" Joe's question was never answered.

Suddenly the walls shook and the entire front of the building collapsed as a blue sedan bulldozed its way through, tail first. The trapped trio looked stunned to see Ned behind the wheel. Before anyone could react the tires squealed and spun as the sedan peeled out the way it had come, leaving a gaping hole where the fire had been.

"Come on!" Nancy yelled from outside, covering her mouth with her sleeve. She was standing where the front door used to be.

Frank glanced behind him and saw the fire making its way into the back room. "GO!" He screamed.

Joe grabbed Brianna's arm and at top speed the three of them barreled through the hole and into the street. Frank yanked Nancy along with him on the way out.

"Don't stop!" Brianna shouted.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion boomed behind them sending them to the ground. Frank and Nancy hit the ground covering their heads while Joe threw Brianna to the dirt, landing hard on top of her, shielding her from flying debris.

When the smoke settled Frank looked at Nancy. "You okay?" Nancy pushed herself up to a sitting position, inspecting a large hole in her sweater sleeve. A big gash was just beginning to bleed from her wrist to her elbow.

"Yeah, it's just a scrape. You?"

Frank rose up on his elbows and smiled at her. "All in one piece."

Nancy felt herself reacting to his easy smile and warm brown eyes, and she smiled back. Still sitting on the ground the she scanned the wreckage. Suddenly she was scared.

"Ned!" Nancy jumped up and ran to where their rental car had run head first into a nearby light pole.

"Get off me!" Brianna's irritated voice boomed.

Frank hurried to where Joe had landed on top of Brianna.

"Would you relax? I'm trying." Joe sounded more than just a little annoyed. "Frank, a little help, please."

"Sure little brother."

Frank grabbed his brother by the shoulders and hauled him to his feet. Brianna lay on the ground staring up at them. She made a move to get up and Joe reached down to offer her a hand. "Don't touch me, just don't touch me." She struggled to her feet, brushing the dirt from her jeans.

"Hey look, I was only trying to help." Joe pouted, jabbing a finger at her.

"I think you've done enough." She swatted a stray piece of hair out of her face. "Who the hell are you guys anyway?"

Joe was about to retort when a scream pierced the air. "Frank! It's Ned! Hurry!"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Whew, that wore me out. But I had a really good time writing this chapter. Hope you guys liked it.


	4. Chapter 4 Who's Mad at Who?

"Frank, hurry, it's Ned

Here it is, guys. It's been a long couple of weeks. I appreciate everyone sticking with me. I hope it was worth the wait.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**Chapter Four: Who's Mad at Who?**

"Frank, hurry, it's Ned!"

The Hardys leapt to their feet and sprinted to a nearby light pole where their rental car rested, now a mangled mass of metal. When Ned had peeled out of the burning building, he lost control of the car, careening into the light pole. The front end of the sedan rested crumpled under the street light. The driver's side door was open, barely hanging by its hinges.

Nancy was kneeling by the car, talking softly to Ned. The hood had crushed under the impact, and his head had slammed into the steering wheel. Now he lay semi-conscious slowly moving his head back and forth, moaning softly.

"Ned," Nancy could barely hold back the fear in her voice. "Hold on, Ned." Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the faints sound of sirens. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Joe standing next to her, pulling her gently.

"Nancy," he said softly. "Let Frank take a look."

Nancy glanced at Frank and nodded numbly letting Joe pull her to her feet, putting a comforting arm around her. "Don't worry, Nan. With that explosion, I'm sure help is on the way."

Frank knelt beside the car and assessed Ned's injuries, feeling his pulse and observing his breathing. Frank knew that they should not move him from the car until help arrived. Ned appeared to have no visible injuries but there was no telling what kind of internal injuries had occurred during the jolt.

Ned's head swayed again and his eyes opened slowly. He saw Frank over him and gave a sardonic smile. "It would be you, wouldn't it, Hardy? Always the hero."

Frank furrowed his brows not really knowing what to say. "Can you feel any pain?" Was eventually what came out.

Ned was thoughtful for a moment. "Um, not really. My arm's kind of numb."

Frank looked at Ned's right arm. It had been slammed pretty good and rested at an awkward angle at the shoulder. "Looks like it might be dislocated." The sirens were getting louder.

Ned groaned. "Terrific."

"Don't worry, we'll get you some help." Frank told him as he got to his feet. He turned to Nancy and motioned for her.

She hurried over and was at Ned's side once again. She wiped a lock of hair from his forehead. "Oh, Ned. You'll be alright." Tears threatened to fall again.

"Of course I will." He tried to muster up his best grin for her.

Frank moved off to stand by Joe and Brianna.

"What now, bro?" Joe asked anxiously.

"Ned needs medical attention, ASAP."

Suddenly the sirens were wailing deafeningly as a large fire truck rounded the corner, followed by an ambulance and a police car. Without ceremony, a handful of men filed out of the fire truck and began dousing the flames, attempting to get the fire under control.

The ambulance pulled along side the Hardy's car and immediately began removing Ned from the wrecked car.

XOXOXO

Twenty minutes later…

Nancy shifted uncomfortably in the metal chair in the hospital waiting room. She leaned the back of her head against the wall and closed her eyes. Ned was in surgery. The paramedics said that it was a simple procedure to reset the shoulder, but that he would be in a lot of pain for a while. Then there would be physical therapy. Fortunately, he hadn't sustain any internal injuries and the cut on his head wasn't severe.

_Damn it_! She leaned forward resting her elbows on her knees; her head in her hands. She knew better than to involve Ned in one if her sporadic trips across the globe. They always ended up being far more dangerous than initally anticipated. She was glad that her usual traveling companions George and Bess had opted out of this one. Ned and her friends were the most loyal people that she knew, but that loyalty more often than not got them in serious trouble.

"Hey,"

Nancy glanced up as Joe dropped into the seat next her, offering a hot cup of coffee. She took it gratefully. "Thanks." She took a sip gingerly, allowing the hot liquid to soothe her parched throat.

"You doin' alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I just…I feel responsible."

Joe shook his head. "Don't do that to yourself, Nan. You'll drive yourself crazy. You couldn't have known things would turn out this way."

She let out an audible sigh. "How'd it go with the inspector?" After being transferred to the hospital and given a clean bill of health, they had each been questioned by the Ukraine police about the incident at the bar.

Hoe shrugged. "I told him all I knew. We had gone to the bar to meet Brianna. When we got there, there were these two thugs harassing her. The rest is history." He watched her for a moment, decided the best way to phrase his next question. "What did you tell them?"

"Basically the same thing." She leaned closer to him. "Don't worry, Hardy, I didn't mention the super secret CIA mission that you guys are here for. Your secret is safe with me. They think we all came together on a holiday to see my cousin."

Joe sighed. Leave it to Nancy, he thought. It was a good cover. The last thing they needed was to involve the local authorities. At least until they had a better grasp on what exactly was going on. "Thanks. Frank's checking in with the agency. I'm sure that they will not be too happy to find out what a splash we've made around here."

"Mrs. Nickerson?" A short, middle aged nurse about forty pounds overweight, approached them. She spoke in broken English.

Nancy blinked at her before standing up. "Um, no…Ms. Drew. I'm Ned's girlfriend."

"Oh," the nurse blushed deeply. "I am so sorry."

Shaking her head, Nancy tried to give her a reassuring smile. "It's alright. How's Ned?"

"The doctor reset his shoulder, and he has been moved to recovery. He is resting but you can see him now."

Nancy and Joe followed the portly woman down the hall. She stopped in front of a room and turned to them. "He has been heavily sedated. He may not be awake for long."

"Thank you." Nancy nodded and led Joe into Ned's room.

Ned was hooked up to various machines. His arm was taped up, secured to his chest. A large bandage cover the large gash on his head.

Nancy walked to his side while Joe stood by the door. "Hey there." She said softly. "How're you feeling?" She sat down, taking his good hand in her own.

Ned shook his head gently. "Like I got hit by a truck."

"No such luck," Joe interjected. "You tried to take on a light pole, and lost."

"What about you, Nancy?"

She lifted her arm to show him her arm. A large bandage ran from her wrist to her elbow, covering a large scratch from the gravel. "Nothing to speak of."

"SO what now?" Joe slumped down into a nearby chair. Having Ned in the hospital was going to be a real setback.

Nancy looked up from the side of the bed, where she sat holding Ned's hand. "We have to get Ned out of here."

"Agreed." Joe said. "How?"

"I think I can answer that." Frank Hardy stood in the doorway.

"Where have you been?" Joe looked as his brother skeptically.

Frank smiled tiredly. "Arranging Ned's transport." He sat in a chair next to Joe. "I call our 'friends' at the agency and told them what's going on. Their sending an escort from the Moscow embassy. They'll stay with him. As soon as he's able to travel, they'll take him back to the states."

"The States?" Ned tried to sit up, with little success. "I'm not going back." His voice was slurred from medication. Frank and Joe looked at Nancy.

She nodded. "Give us a sec, guys."

The Hardys nodded and silently left the room.

Nancy took a deep breath. "You know they're right, Ned. You're hurt. You need to get back home."

Ned suddenly jerked his hand from her grasp. "Is that really the reason you want me to go?" His eyes were cloudy and his voice shaky.

"What are you talking about?"

Ned's eyes began to roll slightly. "I'm talking about Frank Hardy, Nancy. You just want to be alone with Frank Hardy."

Nancy stared at him. "You know that's not true."

"I've seen the way that he looks at you, Nancy. Don't try to deny it." He struggled now to keep his eyes open. "And you look at him too."

She sat dumbstruck as his head bobbed again and his eyes finally closed. He was asleep, snoring softly. She sighed loudly and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples in an attempt to ward off an oncoming headache. Ned's suspicions were not totally unfounded. She and Frank did have unbidden feelings for each other. On more than one occasion those feelings that they had kept at bay had made their way to the surface. Ned wasn't the only one with suspicions about their attraction. Her best friends Bess and George had called her out on it before, and of course there was Joe. Joe knew his brother better than anyone and could certainly see what was going on.

None of it did anything to negate her feelings for Ned, however. He was her first love. Her high school sweetheart. She would always love Ned. Frank was just a distraction. A girlish crush. Wasn't he?

Nancy shook her head. Get over yourself, Drew. You have more important things to think about. There are lives at stake, and you have to help the Hardys. She leaned over and kissed Ned on the forehead.

"I love you." She whispered and turned to leave.

As she left the room, she spotted Frank and Joe whispering quietly. Smoothing her hair, trying to at least look composed, she wiped the remnants of a tear from her cheek and moved to where they were. When they noticed her they stopped and turned to face her.

"Well?" Joe asked.

Nancy unconsciously rubbed the back of her neck, trying to avoid Frank's gaze. "He's going back. He's going to hate me, but he's going back."

"Good. I'm glad he came to his senses." Joe commented.

She took a deep breath. "He didn't. I'm going to tell the doctor to keep him sedated until his escort gets here."

Joe nodded. "It's the best thing for him, Nancy."

Frank's penetrating gaze bore into Nancy suddenly making her very uncomfortable. She knew what he was thinking. He was worried about her. "And what about you?"

Finally she lifted her eyes to meet his. "I'm staying."

"Nancy…" Frank started.

"Don't try to talk me out of this, Frank. I came here to bring Brianna back, and that's what I intend to do." He opened his mouth to speak, but she continued. "And since you need her to find that disk, I guess we're working together." She lifted a defiant eyebrow at him, daring him to argue. He knew better, of course. His shoulders dropped and he nodded in defeat.

Joe suddenly brightened. "Now that that's settled, I suggest we go find Miss Personality and find out exactly what she knows."

XOXO

"How's the hand?" Nancy and the Hardys stood at the foot of Brianna's hospital bed. She had been admitted when they had been unable to stop the bleeding from the cut on her hand. She had received six stitches, and now had it wrapped in a bandage.

Brianna glanced down at her hand. "Still hurts, but I'll live."

Nancy took the seat next to her bed. "We have something very important to discuss."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I have a few questions of my own." She glared at the Hardys. "Who the hell are these buddies of yours? Why have they been snooping around asking questions? What do you guys want?"

"Hold on. One question at a time." Nancy said.

Joe leaned forward, resting his hands on the foot rest. "Tell you what, darling, we'll answer your questions, then you answer ours."

Her glare could have cut glass as she watched Joe. "Darling? Listen here, you…"

Frank cut her off, cutting his eyes at his brother, who moved to the door, leaning against it. "I'm Frank Hardy. This is my brother Joe. We're here on important government business. We could really use your help."

Brianna glanced at Nancy, who nodded. "What makes you think I can help you?"

"Uh-uh," Joe shook his head. "we answered your question. Now, it's our turn."

"Joe, shut up!"

Joe, Frank, and Brianna flinched at Nancy's tone. It was rare that she raised her voice, especially with her friends, but the irritating ache in her head was beginning to turn into a full-blown migraine and she was not in the mood to deal with Joe's grandstanding.

"Sorry," Joe muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring at the floor.

"Now," Nancy continued. "Frank and Joe are looking for someone who may be selling CIA secrets."

"This Micheal Eastman, guy."

Frank nodded.

"It's very important, Bri. Lives are at stake." Nancy said.

Brianna toyed with the corner of bed, picking at a piece of lint on the cover. Finally she looked at them. "I know someone who may be able to help you. But we can't talk to him til tomorrow."

"What about those guys in the bar?" Frank asked gently. "They walked into that place with an agenda. Do you know what they wanted?"

"They didn't say." Brianna said.

Joe scowled. He knew she was lying. She knew a lot more than she was letting on. He was get to the bottom of the connection between her and their mission.

The four of them turned as a doctor walked entered, followed by the inspector who had interviewed them earlier.

"Can I go now?" Brianna did little to hide the irritation in her voice.

Inspector Petrov was a large man with dark eyes and a bushy mustache that reminded Nancy of the guy on a Pringles can. He eyed Brianna carefully before nodded. "The four of you may go. But please be available if I need some more questions."

"Of course." Frank chimed in. "We're staying at the Holiday Inn downtown."

The man smiled thinly. "Very good. Have a good night. And try to stay out of trouble."

"Yes, sir." Joe jumped to attention, giving the man a mock salute. Petrov narrowed his eyes at him, and silently left.

"What do you say, Doc?" Frank asked. "Can she leave?"

The Ukrainian man nodded. "She is fine. Keep the hand clean, and return in a week to have the stitches removed." He turned and left.

"Fine." Brianna said shortly. She hopped off the table and started for the door.

"Hold on, Brianna." Frank called. "I think those giants at the bar have something to do with our mission here, and they obviously think that you know something." He glanced from Nancy to Joe. "Maybe you should come back to our hotel with us."

"You can stay with me." Nancy chimed in. She yawned suddenly aware of the late hour and how exhausted she felt.

Brianna watched Nancy and Frank closely and decided that they were right. The last thing she needed was to be caught off guard by some maniacs trying to kill her. She finally nodded. "Alright."

Joe held the door as the three filed out before following them. "What about Ned?"

Frank glanced at Nancy in time to see her flinch at Ned's name. He smiled reassuringly at her. "He'll be fine here tonight. The reps from the embassy will be here by morning. After that, he won't be alone until he's safely back on U.S. soil."

Nancy nodded numbly, Ned's words still echoing in her head. She tried to convince herself that it had been the drugs; that he hadn't meant what he had said. But in her gut, she knew that was only partly true. Ned was not a vindictive person and had never questioned her loyalty until it came to Frank. She looked at Frank and noticed that he was watching her. A slow blush crept into her cheeks and she quickly looked away. Great, she thought, how am I supposed to convince Ned that there's nothing going on between me and Frank, if I can't even convince myself?

"As much as I hate to break up awkward moments, shouldn't we get going?" Brianna said.

Nancy sighed loudly. "I need to go talk to Ned's doctor first. He needs to know what's going on." She made her way to the nurse's station and began talking to one of the receptionists.

Joe turned to Brianna. "You know what? You have all the tact of a gorilla on steroids."

She glared at him. "Bite me," was all she said before walking away.

"Where are you going?" Frank called after her.

She answered without looking back. "Well, since your car is in pieces, we're going to need a ride. I'm calling a cab."

As she disappeared around the corner, Joe seethed. "I am really not liking her."

Frank narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Well, why don't you do us all a favor and just not talk to her at all?"

"Hey, she's the one with the attitude, not me."

"And yet, you insist on antagonizing her." Frank raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't know you any better, little brother, I'd say you have a thing for her."

"Right, Frank, she's not even my type."

"You mean she doesn't dote on everything you say, or grovel to get your attention."

Joe was mad now. "Speaking of 'having a thing', Ned's not going to be around for the rest of this little adventure of ours. You think you can keep your hands to yourself?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately regretted it. Frank's face turned bright red, and Joe was almost certain that his brother was about to hit him.

When he finally spoke, Frank's voice was low and threatening. "I suggest that we drop this conversation right now, or you'll end up sharing that room with Ned."

"Fine, whatever you say, Frank. But for the record, I don't trust her, and I know that she's hiding something." Joe turned to walk away. "I'll wait for the cab outside."

Frank let out a slow breath. He and Joe had their share of disagreements, but they usually blew over quickly. But he absolutely hated it when Joe ribbed him about Nancy. It was an old argument that they had been through before. There was nothing between them and that was the long and short of it. He did agree with Joe about one thing. Frank definitely didn't trust Brianna. It was one of the reasons that he had convinced her to stay at the hotel rather than her place. It would be easier to keep an eye on her.

He looked up and saw Nancy approaching. She was walking slowly, her shoulders slumped. She looked beat. He wondered how he would break the news to Nancy that he and Joe suspected that her cousin was involved in international espionage.

"You okay?" He asked. "You look exhausted."

She gave him a wan smile. "Is that a nice way of saying that I look like crap?"

He gave her a once over. Her hair was a mess of strawberry tangles, and she had dark smudges of dirt on her face. Other than that, she was still as attractive as ever. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying so. "Actually, you have looked better."

She looked at him in shock, and he gave her a mischievous grin. She punched him playfully in the arm. "You could use a shower yourself, you know." She smiled at his disheveled appearance. His short brown hair was sticking out in ever direction and his face and clothes were covered in soot.

Frank put a friendly arm around her as they moved toward the exit. "Why don't we both get back and into the shower."

Nancy raised an eyebrow as she looked at him.

Suddenly, he realized what he had said. "I mean…uh…" He cursed himself as he felt the flush of his embarrassment paint his face. "I meant that we should both go back to our own rooms and take showers. Separately."

She giggled. "I know what you meant Frank. Relax."

He nodded then suddenly stopped. "Nancy, there is something I need to talk to you about. It's about Brianna."

"I know," she cut him off. "You think she's involved in your case. It's alright, Frank. I'll feel her out, see what she knows. She got me here because she's in some kind of trouble. With luck, she'll clear herself."

He watched as she walked ahead and out the door. He Felt better that Nancy was okay with his suspicions, but he was still concerned that she was being too optimistic about her cousin. For her sake, Frank hoped she was right.

Within minutes, Frank and Nancy had joined Joe and Brianna outside by the curb. The mood was tense at best, and everyone was too drained to start a conversation, much less an argument. The cab finally arrived and they piled in; Frank in the front and Nancy positioned between Brianna and Joe in the back.

As the cab pulled away, a dark figure emerged from the shadows of hospital building. He lit a cigarette and hit a single number on his cell phone.

"Do you have her?"

He took a drag and let it out slowly, watching the smoke turn white as it floated into the streetlight. "There was an incident. She is with some Americans. They going back to their hotel."

"What has she told them?"

"I don't know."

"She knows where the list is. Bring her to me."

"And the others?"

There was a brief silence. "Kill them all."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXO

That's it for now. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. BTW, it really wasn't my intention to make Ned out to be a total douche bag, it just sorta happened that way. Just remember, guys...it was the drugs:)


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